list_activities¶

Get all activities from EARLY with optional filtering for project management and time tracking setup.

Summary¶

The list_activities tool retrieves all activities (projects/tasks) from your EARLY account. It's essential for discovering valid activity IDs needed by other tools like create_time_entry and start_timer.

Key Features: - Retrieve all activities from your EARLY account - Optional filtering for active activities only - Activity details including names and IDs - Real-time integration with EARLY API v4 - Foundation tool for all time tracking operations

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`active`	boolean	Optional	Filter to show only active activities. Default: `false` (shows all activities)

Default Behavior

If no parameters are provided, returns all activities including active, inactive, and archived ones.

Query Options¶

1. All Activities (Default)¶

Get complete list of all activities:

All Activities

{
  // No parameters = all activities
}

2. Active Activities Only¶

Filter to show only currently active activities:

Active Activities Filter

{
  "active": true
}

3. All Activities (Explicit)¶

Explicitly request all activities:

All Activities Explicit

{
  "active": false
}

Behavior¶

Activity Retrieval Process¶

Authentication: Verifies API credentials with EARLY
Query Execution: Requests activities via EARLY API v4
Filtering: Applies active/inactive filter if specified
Response Formatting: Creates readable list with names and IDs

Activity Types¶

EARLY typically includes these activity categories: - Active Activities: Currently available for time tracking - Inactive Activities: Temporarily disabled but not deleted - Archived Activities: Completed projects kept for historical reference

Response Format¶

Each activity includes: - Activity Name: Human-readable project/task name - Activity ID: Unique identifier for use in other tools - Status: Whether the activity is active, inactive, or archived

Examples¶

Get All Activities for Setup¶

When first setting up time tracking:

Complete Activity List

{}

Response:

Activities (all activities): 8 found

1. Client Work - Website Project (ID: proj_client_web_123)
2. Internal Development (ID: proj_internal_dev_456) 
3. Administrative Tasks (ID: proj_admin_789)
4. Marketing Campaigns (ID: proj_marketing_012)
5. Research & Development (ID: proj_rd_345)
6. Training & Learning (ID: proj_training_678)
7. [ARCHIVED] Old Client Project (ID: proj_old_client_901)
8. [INACTIVE] Paused Initiative (ID: proj_paused_234)

Get Active Activities for Daily Use¶

For regular time tracking workflow:

Active Activities Only

{
  "active": true
}

Response:

Activities (active only): 6 found

1. Client Work - Website Project (ID: proj_client_web_123)
2. Internal Development (ID: proj_internal_dev_456)
3. Administrative Tasks (ID: proj_admin_789)
4. Marketing Campaigns (ID: proj_marketing_012)
5. Research & Development (ID: proj_rd_345)
6. Training & Learning (ID: proj_training_678)

Quick ID Reference¶

Finding a specific project ID:

Find Specific Project

{
  "active": true
}

Look for the project name in the response and note its ID for use in other tools.

Common Use Cases¶

Initial Setup¶

First-time use: Discover all available activities in your EARLY account
Project overview: Understand what projects are available for time tracking
ID collection: Gather activity IDs for configuration or automation

Daily Time Tracking¶

Quick reference: Get active project list for timer operations
Project selection: Choose which activity to track time against
Validation: Verify activity still exists before creating time entries

Project Management¶

Status review: See which activities are active vs. archived
Project inventory: Understand full scope of tracked projects
Historical reference: Access archived projects for reporting

Integration Setup¶

MCP client configuration: Get activity IDs for automated workflows
Script development: Collect IDs for time tracking automation
API integration: Validate available activities for external systems

Error Scenarios¶

Common Errors and Solutions¶

Error	Cause	Solution
"Authentication failed"	Invalid API credentials	Check `EARLY_API_KEY` and `EARLY_API_SECRET`
"No activities found"	Empty EARLY account	Create activities in EARLY app first
"Connection timeout"	Network issues	Check internet connection and EARLY API availability
"Invalid parameter"	Wrong parameter type	Ensure `active` is boolean (`true` or `false`)

Example Error Response¶

Authentication Error

{
  "content": [{
    "type": "text",
    "text": "Operation failed: Authentication failed\n\nDebug info:\n- API Key: Present\n- API Secret: Missing\n- Base URL: https://api.early.app\n\nProvided arguments: {\"active\": true}"
  }]
}

No Activities Scenario¶

Empty Activities Response

{
  "content": [{
    "type": "text", 
    "text": "Activities (active only): 0 found\n\n"
  }]
}

Essential for These Tools¶

list_activities provides the activity IDs required by:

create_time_entry - Requires valid projectId
start_timer - Requires valid projectId
edit_time_entry - May need activityId for reassignment
get_time_entries - Can filter by projectId

Workflow Integration¶

graph TD
    A[list_activities] --> B[create_time_entry]
    A --> C[start_timer]
    A --> D[edit_time_entry]
    A --> E[get_time_entries]

    F[EARLY Account] --> A

Typical Workflows:

Setup Workflow: 1. list_activities → Discover available projects 2. Choose activities for time tracking 3. Use activity IDs in time tracking tools

Daily Tracking: 1. list_activities (active only) → Get current projects 2. start_timer with chosen activity ID 3. Continue with timer or entry creation tools

Best Practices¶

Initial Discovery¶

Start with all activities: Use default parameters to see full scope
Note active vs. inactive: Understand project status in your account
Save commonly used IDs: Keep reference list of frequently used activity IDs

Regular Usage¶

Use active filter: Filter to active activities for daily workflow
Refresh periodically: Re-run to catch newly created activities
Validate before use: Check activities exist before using IDs in other tools

Activity Management¶

Understand naming: Note how activities are named in your EARLY setup
Track changes: Monitor when activities become inactive or archived
Coordinate with team: Ensure everyone uses consistent activity names/IDs

Performance Optimization¶

Cache results: Store activity list locally for repeated use
Filter appropriately: Use active filter when archived projects aren't needed
Combine with other tools: Chain with time tracking operations efficiently

Integration Notes¶

Claude Desktop Usage¶

You can ask Claude naturally:

"What projects can I track time for?"
"Show me my active activities"
"List all my EARLY projects"

API Integration¶

The response format makes it easy to: - Parse activity names and IDs programmatically - Build dropdown lists for user interfaces - Validate activity existence in automated workflows

Activity ID Format¶

Activity IDs are typically strings like "proj_client_web_123"
IDs are stable and don't change when activity names are updated
Always use IDs (not names) in other tool parameters for reliability